Speakers
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Ana Mijares PEDistrict Engineer | Texas Department of Transportation — Beaumont DistrictAna Mijares, P.E., serves as the district engineer for TxDOT’s Beaumont District.
The district comprises eight counties: Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler.
Mijares oversees the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the transportation system for the eight-county Beaumont District.
A TxDOT veteran, Mijares began her TxDOT career in 1993 as a summer intern in the Lufkin District. After earning her B.S. in Civil Engineering, she joined the Lufkin district as an Engineering Assistant. She rotated through multiple offices in the district before becoming an Assistant Area Engineer.
In 2006, Mijares moved to the private sector, contributing to transportation projects across several Texas districts and working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on hurricane protection in Louisiana.
She returned to the Lufkin district of TxDOT in 2012 as Central Design Lead. She then became District Design Engineer in 2014, overseeing $785M in construction. In 2020, she was appointed Director of Transportation Planning and Development, where she managed a 10-year portfolio and delivered $400M in projects.
In 2022, Mijares became Deputy District Engineer for the Beaumont District. In 2024, under her support and guidance, the district successfully delivered a record-breaking $960 million in construction projects. She is also very proud of the recent implementation of smart work zones on the Rainbow Bridge Rehabilitation Project and the creation of the first Traffic Incident Management (TIM) team in the district.
Mijares earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M in 1996 and received her Professional Engineering license in 2004.
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Andrew A. CanonFreight, Trade, and Connectivity Section Director | Texas Department of TransportationAndrew is the Freight, Trade, and Connectivity Section Director of the Transportation Planning and Programming Division (TPP) of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a position he has held since November 2023. In this role, he leads statewide initiatives focused on freight mobility, international trade, connectivity, corridor planning, and long-range transportation development. His portfolio includes oversight of Statewide Freight Mobility Plans, corridor planning efforts, and international trade and transportation studies that support Texas’ economic competitiveness and transportation network.
Prior to joining TxDOT, Andrew served for nearly two decades as the Executive Director of the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), from 2004 to 2023. During his tenure, he played a key leadership role in advancing transportation infrastructure throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Among his most significant accomplishments was helping facilitate the creation of the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, formed through the merger of the Brownsville MPO, Harlingen-San Benito MPO, and Hidalgo County MPO, resulting in the fifth-largest MPO by population in Texas.
A recognized leader in freight, border transportation, and regional planning, Andrew He has also contributed extensively to the transportation profession through more than 20 years of service on various Transportation Research Board (TRB) committees and other stakeholder organizations.
An eighth-generation Texan, Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Sam Houston State University. He has further enhanced his leadership and management expertise through Management Essentials and Leadership Essentials certifications from Harvard Business School. Andrew and his wife are owners of Rabbs Creek Ranch and Rabbs Creek Cattle Management, a 100-year-old family ranch.
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Heather Ashley-NguyenDirector of TP&D | Texas Department of Transportation – Austin DistrictHeather Ashley is a 2001 graduate of UT Austin with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Heather served 12 years in the private sector as roadway design engineer, before joining TxDOT in 2013. Heather has 11 years of design build project experience that includes planning, procurement, and design/implementation. Heather is currently serving as transportation planning and development director and leads a team of over 100 and manages programming and delivery of projects including the $7B Capital Express Program.
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Ram s. Maddali PE, AICP, PMPSenior Project Manager | OthonRam S. Maddali, PE, AICP, PMP, LGPP is a Senior Project Manager and transportation planning leader with OTHON, bringing more than 25 years of experience in transportation planning, traffic engineering, corridor and feasibility studies, travel demand modeling, traffic and revenue studies, safety analysis, and project management. He has led major statewide, regional, and corridor planning initiatives for TxDOT and communities across Texas, integrating engineering analysis, data analytics, public involvement, and practical implementation strategies to address complex transportation challenges
Ram’s experience includes leading TxDOT corridor planning and traffic engineering programs, statewide planning studies, multimodal and freight initiatives, and major corridor studies throughout Texas. His work has included the award-winning US 67 Corridor Master Plan, statewide functional classification assessment, I-35 Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) study, and numerous feasibility, mobility, and traffic engineering studies
Ram holds an MBA from Boston University and an MS in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and is certified in TxDOT Local Government Project Procedures (LGPP).
Local Time
- Timezone: America/New_York
- Date: Sep 18 2026
- Time: 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
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Convention Center First Floor
- 1901 N Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX 78401
From Vision to Reality: Delivering Multimodal Projects Through Integrated Planning and Engineering: Connecting Statewide Strategy, Project Portfolio Development, and District Delivery to Advance Transportation Solutions
Moderator: Ram Maddali
As transportation agencies work to address growing mobility needs, infrastructure demands, system resiliency, and funding constraints, successful project delivery requires strong coordination between planning, programming, engineering, and implementation. Transforming long-range transportation goals into projects that can be funded, developed, and delivered demands an integrated approach that bridges organizational, technical, and geographic boundaries.
From Vision to Reality: Delivering Multimodal Projects Through Integrated Planning and Engineering brings together leaders from statewide planning and programming, project portfolio management, and district transportation development to explore how agencies are advancing multimodal transportation solutions from concept to construction.
The session will examine how transportation priorities are identified, evaluated, programmed, and ultimately delivered through coordinated planning and engineering processes. Panelists will share perspectives on:
- Linking statewide transportation goals to regional and district priorities
- Developing and managing project portfolios that maximize mobility, safety, and system performance
- Integrating multimodal considerations into planning, programming, and project development
- Balancing technical, environmental, funding, and stakeholder considerations throughout project delivery
- Strengthening collaboration between planners, engineers, and decision-makers
- Advancing resilient infrastructure investments that address both current and future transportation needs
Through real-world examples and lessons learned, panelists will highlight how integrated planning and engineering approaches help agencies move projects efficiently from vision to implementation while supporting long-term transportation system resilience.
Attendees will gain practical insights into the processes, partnerships, and leadership strategies that enable successful multimodal project delivery across Texas, demonstrating how coordinated planning and engineering efforts can transform transportation visions into successful infrastructure outcomes.
